Athena
After the meeting we stood in the grand foyer of the Gray Mansion. Finn was engaged in a conversation with Alexander, Magni, and Khan.
Six months ago I had been brought here as a hostage. I could still remember everything from that night. Looking around the foyer I took in all the details, from the beautiful curved staircase to the chandeliers and paintings on the walls. The Gray Mansion was like something out of a movie from the old days.
“I thought you said all the men who had tried to cross the border had been captured,” Finn said, and that caught my attention.
“Of course I would say that in public.” Khan frowned. “I was trying to stop others from doing the same.”
“Wait, what was that?” Laura, who had been talking to Pearl, asked and took a step closer to the men. “I thought I heard you say that some men crossed the border without being captured.”
Khan drew in a long breath. “I’m afraid so. The Motherlands has provided photos from the border drones, asking us to identify the men.”
Laura’s voice was hard when she spoke. “How many are we talking about?”
“Not many. If the latest numbers that we received this morning are accurate, they caught two hundred and thirty-five men who tried to cross the border unauthorized.”
“And how many didn’t they catch?” Laura asked again.
“Nineteen got away from them, and twelve of them have us concerned.”
By now Pearl had joined our group, and everyone was looking at Khan when he spoke. “It’ll be all right. I’m going to offer the Council to send in some of my best men to locate and arrest the Nmen. We’ll bring them back here before they do any harm and bring shame to our name.”
“I told you,” Pearl said and brushed her hair back in frustration, "the Council will never allow you to send in soldiers or warriors. They will insist on solving this problem themselves.”
Magni spoke up in his deep voice. “Your mediators aren’t equipped to deal with people like that. They could be armed, and I’ve seen their profiles. At least five of them are dangerous criminals with violent back grounds.”
Athena gasped. “Why would you allow anyone who is dangerous to walk around?”
“These men took their punishment already. Unless they’re given a life sentence they’re allowed back out when they’ve served their time.”
Pearl and I exchanged worried glances, while Laura flicked her long ginger-red hair back and squared her shoulders. “If the Motherlands won’t allow any of our male warriors to go, then I’ll do it. I’m the best female warrior that we have.”
Boulder snorted. “A female warrior – ha, that’s a good one.”
Laura pushed her chest out further and narrowed her eyes. “You won’t be laughing when I track those fuckers down and bring them back here.”
All of us grew silent as if waiting for her to laugh and say that she was just joking, but Laura didn’t break a smile.
“You’re serious?” Pearl’s question woke us all from the initial shock.
“Why not? I’m not letting the Motherlands deal with those twisted Nmen by themselves. I’m the perfect person for the job since I can blend in and get close to the men. They’ll think I’m a helpless Motlander.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Magni told his wife. “You’re staying right here where I can keep you safe.”
“That’s not up to you!” Laura hardened her jaw. “None of your soldiers will be allowed in, and…”
Magni cut her off “The fuck you are. You just got back and the two of us have things to discuss.”
“I know, but you’re too busy cleaning up this mayhem for us to talk anyway. You deal with it on this side and I’ll track down and bring those men back before they hurt innocent people.”
“No!” Magni said in a nonnegotiable way, his brows lowered and his stance intimidating.
“Yes!” Laura exclaimed and placed her hands on her hips. “
“Laura dear,” Pearl said with a small frown. “This is a job for the most skilled mediators in the Motherlands; I doubt they will let you put yourself in danger.”
“We’ll see about that,” Laura said and crossed her arms. “I want to give back after everything the Motherlands have done for me, and they’ll be fools not to take my offer.” Laura held out her hand to Khan. “Give me every file you have on those shitheads, and I’ll find them.”
Magni grabbed her outstretched hand and a loud argument erupted between them when he pulled her aside, hissing at her that she’d lost her damn mind. Neither of them would give in and when Magni couldn’t talk her out of it with his words, he threatened to lock her in their room for her own protection.
Both Pearl and I objected when Magni pulled Laura onto his shoulder and walked up the stairs. We pleaded for the other men to help her, but Laura was resourceful and planted her teeth in Magni’s neck, making him growl and smack her behind hard.
“Put her down,” Khan commanded in a loud booming voice and the distraction that it caused gave Laura a chance to get out of Magni’s hold.
With fury on his face, Magni stood halfway up the staircase looking at Laura running back down to our group again.
I stroked her back in a gesture of sympathy, and Pearl moved forward, shielding Laura from Magni’s vision.
“Argh,” he snarled from the stairs, turned around, and ran up three steps at a time.
My shoulders relaxed again when he was gone.
“Laura, Magni is right,” Khan said and rocked back on his heels with a deep frown. “Chasing down criminals is no job for a woman.”
“Don’t listen to him, Laura,” Pearl said and shook her head at Khan. “When will you accept that women are as capable as men?”
“When will you accept that when it comes to handling violent Nmen, they aren’t?” he said in a sharp tone.
Pearl wasn’t intimidated. “You’re forgetting that women were police officers and soldiers before the Toxic War.”
“And you’re forgetting that they had training,” Khan pointed out. “Laura doesn’t.”
“I’m the best qualified person for the task,” Laura said with confidence. “I’m not afraid of Nmen and I have fight training now.”
Khan took a step closer, pinning Laura with his eyes. “If you aren’t afraid of those men, then you’re the least qualified person for the task. I’m not sending a fool on a suicide mission.”
“I’ll be cautious,” she said quickly. “I’m not stupid.”
“If Laura wants to do this, we should respect her choice,” Pearl said and sighed when Khan pivoted around and dragged his hands through his hair.
“Laura.” Taking her hand, I looked into her eyes. “You have the strength to do this, but I wonder if you’re doing it for the right reasons.”
“I want to help!” she said.
“Yes, but if you’re trying to prove the point that women are strong, there are better ways.”
The sound of running footsteps had us all looking up the stairs to see Magni return.
The sight of him carrying weapons made me burst out a warning in a high pitch, “He’s going to kill Laura.”
Magni stopped cold, and then his face distorted in a grimace of anger. “What the fuck are you talking about, priestess? I took a vow to protect Laura with my life,” he snarled. “And just for the record, I don’t need no fucking weapons to kill a person.”
He took the last five steps, and with the combination of Magni’s being already huge and his being higher up than us, he looked imposing and intimidating, like an ancient Viking warrior descending to fight us all. On instinct, I moved closer to Finn and he pulled me under his arm in a protective way.
“If you’re determined to chase those motherfuckers, then I’m going with you,” Magni said to Laura.
“That’s impossible,” Pearl exclaimed. “After you crossed the border, unauthorized, twice and kidnapped Athena, you have become public enemy number one. They would never allow you to pass the border.”
“They just did,” Magni argued. “I was at the ceremony when the earth quake happened.”
Khan spoke up. “You have no idea how long it took for Pearl to convince them to let you come. Both she and I had to make solemn promises that we guaranteed you would return with us to the Northlands and that you wouldn’t be trouble while we were there.”
“Public enemy number one, huh!” Magni scrunched up his mouth.
“I understand your frustration, brother, I know it’s against your nature to leave Laura unprotected, but you can’t leave your post now,” Khan said. “There’s too much going on here and I need you to stay.”
Magni groaned and then he turned to Laura. “If I can’t stop you, then at least I can make sure that you’re wearing the right protection, and that you bring solid weapons.” He held out a piece of fabric that looked like nothing I had ever seen before. It had the shape of a small human, but was made in a see-through material. “Remember the video that I made for you?” he asked in a gruff voice. “The one where I promised you that I would teach you to fight if you came home?”
Laura nodded.
“Well, I had this made for you, so you wouldn’t get hurt while training,” Magni said. “There’s no better protective gear than this and you can wear it under your clothes.”
Laura took the one-piece and looked it over. “I’ve seen vests and gloves, but never a full body suit. This must have cost you a fortune.”
“As I said,” Magni mumbled, “I had it especially made for you.”
I softened a little toward Magni. The concern on his face and the thoughtfulness of wanting to protect Laura was touching.
“Thank you,” Laura said and held the suit to her chest.
Magni bit his lip, his brows still drawn close together. “I wish you could wear leather on top, but if you want to blend in, I guess that’s out of the question.” He looked down at the weapons. “You should bring some weapons. They might come in handy for you if those motherfuckers won’t cooperate.”
“Magni,” Khan said and began walking away. “Come join the rest of us in my office when you’re done. The negotiations will begin in half an hour.”
“Understood,” Magni muttered.
“You can take Laura to the border afterwards,” Khan added.
I never heard a reply from Magni, because Finn made sure that we followed Khan and Pearl, and my belly was already in a knot over the magnitude of the negotiations that were about to take place.
I was a peacekeeper by profession, but helping people solve conflicts with colleagues and family members seemed mundane and insignificant compared to the task that I was facing now. If things blew up in that room, war could break out and millions would suffer and possibly die.
“Remember,” Finn whispered to me. “All you need to do is argue that we should be together, can you do that?”
Looking up at him, the edges around my eyes softened. “I’ll argue until I’m blue in my face,” I promised. “If they refuse, I’ll even consider moving here.”
“You would?” Finn stopped me abruptly, letting Pearl and Khan walk ahead, before he whispered with eagerness, “You would do that for me?”
I nodded. “I would! It shouldn’t surprise you since you’re willing to do the same for me.”
Finn pushed his hair back. “But you said that it wasn’t possible for you because of your position and place in your community. What changed?”
I looked down. “I did a lot of thinking last night when I couldn’t sleep. And it became very clear to me that it wouldn’t be possible for me to go back to my old life without you. I would feel like a ghost trapped between two worlds. It would be a sad imitation of living. My heart would be here with you, and my teachings about inner balance would ring hollow.”
Finn cupped my face, and kissed the tip of my nose. “I stand by my words; you are the most beautiful person to walk this earth.”
“Are you guys coming?” Khan called from the doorway to his office.
“We’re coming,” Finn called back before whispering into my ear. “Everything is going to be all right, and once this meeting is over, you and I are going to my room for a nap.”
“A nap?” I wrinkled my brow.
“Uh-huh,” Finn said and gave me a playful smile. “Haven’t you heard that men get tired after sex? With the pent-up desire that I have for you, I guarantee that you’ll be tired too.”
I smiled back at him, momentarily distracted by his sexual energy.
“But what about Tristan?” I asked as we began walking again.
“Don’t worry, we’ll go back to the school later, and when we do, we’ll be smiling – I guarantee it.”